1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to locks and more particularly to a cable locking assembly used to lock guns. The present invention includes a novel automatic release feature and a novel security feature preventing unauthorized or accidental unlocking.
2. Description of Prior Art
A common concern among gun owners is that firearms are stored so that they are not accessible to children or unauthorized persons. Prior art gunlocks may include trigger locks or guards, wall mounted gunlocks or gun cabinets. There are also gunlocks including a locking body and a chain or a cable that is passed through the central aperture of the trigger guard of one or more guns, forming a closed loop.
Some of the conventional cable locks include an operating cam member connected to a spring. One of the major problems of such conventional cable locks used for securing guns is that they can be easily opened when a sudden impact is exerted on the lock, affecting the force of the spring.
Still another drawback of the conventional cable locking devices is that the user has to manually pull out the end of the cable. In the case of cable locks that have a release feature, it usually consists of a spring device incorporated in the locking body. If a small article falls into the cavity where the spring is placed, or if the spring is damaged in any other way, the whole locking assembly would stop functioning.
There are several patents which disclose locking devices having various operating cam members, springs and cable attachments.
Hwang, U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,043 discloses a lock assembly including a cable, lock shell with a keyplug and a flexible shackle with a pushing assembly. The pushing assembly is positioned in a hole in the inside of the lock shell. Instead of a latching member, Hwang discloses a movable locking ball with no attached spring assembly.
George, U.S. Pat. No. 1,515,302 discloses a locking means comprising a locking block and a shackle having parallel legs. The reference includes an operating cam member in the form of a reciprocable bolt that may be moved against the tension of a spring. In one embodiment, the shackle is provided with teeth that cooperate with a beveled end of the bolt. The drawback of this invention is the straight end of the bolt with no semicircular indent, and the lack of a movement restricting tongue for the bolt. There is also no automatic release mechanism for the shackle, requiring the user to manually pull out the shackle.
Masoncup et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,578 disclose a padlock with a shackle mounted for reciprocal movement. A notch is provided on the short end of the shackle for receiving a latch urged by a coil spring. The latch presents an inclined surface, but does not have the other novel features of the present invention. The shackle is propelled outwardly by a coil spring which is located inside the padlock at the end opposite to where the latch cooperates with the shackle.
Best, U.S. Pat. No. 3,605,458 discloses a cable shackle padlock including a secured rotatable shackle heel-piece and a shackle toe-piece allowed to be inserted and removed from the lock. The padlock also comprises a tumbler which appears to be plate-like and has at its end a slot slidable into and out of engagement with a groove in the shackle toe-piece. The bolt also has a cross slot engaging an eccentric lug on a throw member rotatably mounted in a retaining plate that lies immediately below the bolt.
The present invention is distinguished over the prior art in general, and the above mentioned patents in particular by a lock device having a flexible shackle with a spring device mounted on its free end and abutting against the outer surface of the lock case, providing a novel and more convenient release mechanism. The flexible shackle has an annular groove on its cylindrical portion which cooperates with a latching member. The latching member is urged by a spring and presents an inclined surface with a semicircularly shaped outer edge for a tight fit with the annular groove. The inclined surface of the latching member, resulting in a thin edge, requires a narrow annular groove on the flexible shackle, providing a more resistant and durable configuration for the shackle. The shape of the latching member is also novel, including a rectangular tongue which restricts accidental movement and unauthorized use of the gunlock.